The Portland daily press., 1887-01-29
FROM WASHINGTON.
A Gay Week In Society at the
Capital.
Brilliant Receptions Given by Foreign
Ministers.
Rude People Who Attend the official
Receptions.
Petition from Portland Praying for
Reduction of the oIeomargarine
Tax.


WASHINGTON, Jan. 2S.
Society has been plunged this week in an
unusually giddy whirl of gaiety.
The KirIness, or Dance Of the Nations, oc
Cured ON Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
evenings; the Japanese Minister gave a re.
ception on Monday evening; the Chinese
Minister ball on Tuesday, and the Presi
dent his annual reception to Congress on
Thursday evening.
The kirmess even exceeded the general
expectation for beauty and brilliancy. The
scene upon the stage at the rising Of the
curtain was beautiful beyond description,
and obs and abs of astonishment and adj
miration were heard all over the house. The
dancers to the number Of four hundred were
arranged in tiers rising one above another
and filling the entire stage. the brilliant
colors of the costumes and the bright and
animated faces of the dancers forming a
beautiful picture. In the dances which fol-
lowed, every phase of national costuming,
from the rustic simplicity of the European
peasants and the barbaric magniicence Of
the American Indians to the proud and state
ly court costumes of the time of Louis XIV,
oOAO NtoPAoJO0 b9 tuC QduCClo VI tilt kTdct-
full minuet. The costumes were exceedingly
elegant and costly, and the dancers perfectly
trained in their various steps. On the clos
ing night the President and his wife and
some visitors occupied one of the proscenium
boxes, and divided the attention of the au-
dience with the dancers upon the stage.
The reception at the japanese Minister'S
was very quiet and enjoyable affair, but
the.same can not be said for the ball given by
the Chinese Minister. This last has been
the talk of the town since it occurred, and if
reports are to be believed was a disgrace to
the society Of the city. Hundreds attended
without invitations, and who. had not the
slightest pretence of right to be present,
and the house was filed with a disorderly
crowd, which entirely prevented the rightful'
guests from all enjoyment Of the occasion.
The practice of attending balls and recep-
tions Of this kind without invitations has
been prevalent here to greater or less ex-
tent for years, but has never been carried to
greater extent than on Tuesday. As no
tickets are required and the number of in
vitations issued is quite large, the servants
at the door have no means Of knowing the
rightful guests from the impostors, and no
one applying for admission, who is dressed
in the regular full dress, is denied admission
As result, the balls and receptions are
crowded with q multitude of curiosity seek
ers who have no right to be present. The
state receptions at the White House are also
generally overcrowded from the same cause.
The only way to prevent it is to require the
presentation Of the cards of invitation at the
door, and the refusal Of admission to all not
provided with such cards, and it is not un-
likely that this will have to be resorted to in
the near future.
On Wednesday Mrs. Secretary Lamar held
her first reception as a Cabinet lady, which
was very largely attended.
The Presidents reception to Congress fit
tingly closed the brilliant week on Thursday,
and the remainder of the week was generally
devoted to resting from the arduous labor OF
the first four days.
Senator Frye presented today petition
Of J. l.. Best and so others of Portland,
stating the great difference between the tax
levied on dealers in tobacco and that paid by
dealers in oleomargarine, and praying that
the latter be reduced so as to be more nearly
equal to the former. He also presented a
petition of Mechanic Falls Post of the Grand
Army, praying for the passage Of the Ed
bill for the suppression of
polygamy.
Pensions Granted Maine Claim ants
Pensions have been granted to residents of
Maine as follows:
VIM. j. Wiley, original, Mapleton.
Moulton c. Dodge, original, Exeter Mills.
Francis p Lane, reissue, Cooper.
David Simpson, increase. North Newburg.
Gilbert II. ingalls,, restoration, Lagrange.